Machine for milling slots in fanfold paper towels



L. H. MORIN Jan. 20, 1959 MACHINE FOR MILLING SLOTS IN FANF'OLD PAPER TOWELS Filed March 14, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LOUIS H. MORIN A TTORNE? L. H. 'MORIN Jan. 20, 1959 MACHINE FOR MILLING SLOTS IN FANFOLD PAPER TOWELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1955 ATTORNEY L. H. MORIN Jan. 20, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1955 INVENTOR. LOU25 H. MORIN nited States MACHINE FOR MILLING SLOTS IN FANFGLD PAPER TOWELS Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to West Chemical Products Inc., a corporation of New York Application March 14, 1955, Serial No. 494,635

1 Claim. (Cl. 90-16) This invention relates to machines for producing fanfold paper towels, as specifically described and claimed in application Serial Number 397,244, filed December 9, 1953. More particularly, the invention deals with what might be termed a slotting attachment for machine of this type and kind for forming a slot longitudinally of one side edge of the stacked towels, prior to removal of bundles of towels from the machine, the slotting of the towels being for the purpose of properly positioning the fanfold towels in dispensers, for example, of the type and kind disclosed in application Serial Number 470,670, filed November 23, 1954.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a slotting attachment which is automatically actuated in the feed of the fanfold toweling to the delivery end of the machine and, at such position, as to not interfere with the removal of bundles of towels from the end portion of the delivery.

-The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the delivery end portion of a fanfold machine, illustrating the arrangement of my slotting attachment in connection therewith, part of the construction being in section and part omitted.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed plan view of a portion of the delivery table, showing the slot milling attachment, with part of the construction removed and diagrammatically showing only a part of the paper toweling in section; and a Fig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with parts of the construction shown in elevation and showing a cover plate omitted in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, and 11 represent side guide rails and 12 and 13 workpiece supporting rails of the delivery end portion of a fanfold machine of the type and kind disclosed in the application above identified. 14 represents an L-shaped or angle iron backing plate for backing up the stacks of fanfold towels, the upstanding member of the plate 14 having, at one side thereof, a notch or recess 15. The fanfold towels are arranged in bundles or packages 16 and are fed in the direction of the arrow 17 of Fig. 1. The plate is yieldably supported through a suitable counterbalance, not shown, the chain of which is coupled with the plate 15, as indicated at 18. This construction facilitates the constant delivery of the fanfold packages 16 on the delivery bed and facilitates re moval of these packages from the end of the delivery for boxing or other packaging. The upstanding flag-like tabs 16' divide the packages one from the other, these flags facilitating removal of the packages or bundles 16 from the delivery bed.

Suitably supported on the rails 10 and 11 adjacent the inner end portion of the delivery bed and extending downwardly from these rails are vertical frames or posts 19. These posts are joined by a crossframe plate 2!),

means upon which an electric motor 21 is supported beneath the bed, as later described. At 22 is shown an upwardly extending frame member, with which a cutter housing 23 is adjustably coupled. The housing 23 comprises an upper dish-like casing portion 24, having a tubular discharge extension 25 directed toward the free end portion of the delivery bed, as clearly noted in Figs. 1 2 of the drawing. A flexible tubing 26, shown in part in Fig. l of the drawing, is coupled with the tubular discharge 25 for discharge of cuttings from the casing 24. It will appear, from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, that the casing 24 has an opening or passage 2"? which extends into the tubular discharge 25.

Extending downwardly from the casing 24, the housing 23 has a tubular portion 28 having upper and lower ball bearings 29 and 30 for the support of a cutter shaft 31. Fixed to the shaft 31, within the casing 24, is a cutter blade 32, which can be of any desired construction but, as noted in Fig. 2 of the drawing, comprises a platelike member having four protruding cutter knives 33. The cutter blade 32 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34 of Fig. 2 of the drawing in the operation of cutting the slot 35 in one side edge portion of the towel bundle 16. It will be noted that the recess 15, in the backing plate 14, registers with the slot 35; thus facilitating the cutting of the end bundle or the bundle adjacent the bundle 14.

Considering Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it will appear that the casing 24 has an open side, as indicated at 36, which is arranged in close proximity to the slotted side of the bundle 16. However, in the milling operation of the cutter, the particles will be thrown by the knives 33 into the casing and fed by the knives and by a suction provided in the tube 26 to discharge the cuttings into a suitable receptacle.

The shaft 31 protrudes below the tubular portion 28 of the housing 23 and mounted on the protruding end 31 is a pulley 37, which is driven by a belt 38, which also passes around a pulley 39 on the shaft 40 of the motor 21.

In considering Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the showings in this figure are diagrammatic in order to simplify the view. The relative arrangement of the parts is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. Supported on the rail 11 is an upstanding backing plate 41, against which the opposed side of the bundles of towels 16 are adapted to bear. This backing plate resists the pressure of the cutter 32 in the operation of milling the slot 35 in the paper towels. it will be noted that the inner surface 42 of the backing plate protrudes slightly beyond the inner surface of the rail 11, so as to place the bundles of fanfold towels 16 under slight pressure at the point of engagement of the cutter 32 with the opposed edges of the towels.

It will appear from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that the housing 23 includes a vertically long bracket 43, which has a tongue and groove engagement with the frame member 22, as noted at 44, thus facilitating adjustment of the housing for proper positioning of the cutter 32 with respect to the toweling.

Considering Fig. 3 of the drawing, it will appear that the casing 24 is closed by a removable cover plate 45, so as to confine the cuttings within the casing for transmission through the discharge passage 27. in order to simplify the present illustration, the several means employed for the adjustable fixing of the parts, such for example, as the vertical adjustment of the housing 23, are omitted for sake of clarity and this also applies to the adjustable mounting of the milling unit, as a whole, and the motor mounting in said unit.

The crossframe plate 20 includes upper and lower rails 46 and 47, note Fig. 3, within and between which is arranged a cross-member 22 fixed to the vertical frame 22. The cross-member 22 is adjustable transversely with respect to the feed of the towels through the machine.

Vertically adjustable on the crossframe member 22 is a motor supporting plate 48, the purpose of this latter adjustment being simply to compensate for any adjustment of cutter 32 in vertical adjustment of bracket 43 of housing 23. Secured to the upright frame 22 is a block 49, in which is mounted an adjustment screw 5%, having a threaded engagement with the block, the screw being fixed against movement in one of the posts 19 by a pair of keyed nuts 51, note Fig. 2 of the drawing. It will thus be seen that by adjusting the screw 50, the entire unit, including the motor 21, can be adjusted toward and from the side surface of the toweling 16 to adjust the depth of cut to be formed in producing the longitudinal key slot 35. This latter adjustment is within limits, as will be apparent. By reason of the fixing or mounting of the cross-member 22' on the vertical frame 22, these two elements'or members 22", 22 constitute a frame unit which can be adjusted transversely in the machine or transverse to the path of feed of the paper towels. It will thus be apparent that as the motor 21 and housing 23 are vertically adjustable in the frame unit 22'22, both motor 21 and housing 23 can be collectively moved in the transverse depth cut control, adjustment of which is through the medium of the screw 50.

It will also appear, from a broken section of the frame 22, that the lower portion of the frame is cutaway, as seen at 52, note Fig. 2, in order to clear the post 19 to compensate for the vertical adjustment of the housing 23, as well as the adjustment of the complete unit through the medium of the screw 50.

As the conventional elongated slots and bolts structures of adjustable mountings of this type and kind are old and well known, they have been omitted to obviate unnecessary detail mechanical showings, which are well known to these skilled in the art. The only thing which is essential to understand is that the cutter mechanism and the motor for actuating the same comprises an operating unit which, as a unit, is adjustable in the frame of the machine to gauge the depth of the cut. Further, the housing 23 is adjustable vertically to position the height of the cut 35 on the workpieces or towel bundles 16 and that the motor is adjustably fixed simply for the purpose of properly setting the belt 38.

It will be apparent that, in the diagrammatic showing of Fig. l, a good bit of the structural details of the delivery bed, as Well-as part of the attachment, are omitted.

Considering Fig. 3 of the drawing, it will appear that the rails 10 and 11 are arranged upon longitudinal angle iron supporting frames, the frame beneath the rail 18 being indicated at 53 in said figure. Between the frame 53 and the rail 10 is illustrated a reinforcing or spacer plate 54. It will also appear, in this figure, that the outwardly extending or horizontal portions of the frame 53, as well as the rail 10, is cut out, as indicated at 55, for reception of the cutter attachment. It will also appear that the posts 19 are directly coupled with the frames 53. Only one of the frames 53 is shown. However, the companion longitudinal frame will be positioned beneath the rail 11, as will be apparent.

The operation of the slotting attachment to fan-fold towel machines of the kind described will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken with the accompanying drawings and the following statement.

As the fanfold towels are'formed and delivered to the delivery table, they arepressure fed by the forming and folding mechanism in the direction of. the arrow 17 against the yieldable back plate 14. In the early stages, the plate 14 will be to the left of the cutter blade 32, as

noted in Fig. l of the drawing. Then, as the bundles 16 of the fanfold paper toweling are fed in the direction of the arrow 17, the bundles 16will be brought into engagement with the cutter 32 and through suitable controls. When the bundles reach-the cutter station, the cutter will be brought into operation and will continue to operate as the bundles 16 are fed in the direction of the arrow 17, the slots 35 being automatically milled in the side edges of the bundles in the manner diagrammatically shown in Fig. l of the drawing.

it will be apparent that, as the bundles 16 are removed from the right end portion of the delivery table, the backing plate 14 will automatically advance to the left, preferably to a position engaging a bundle, such as the bundle 16 just to the right of the cutter 32.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that, automatically in the delivery of the fanfold bundles to the delivery table and in movement longitudinally of said table, the key slot 35 is automatically formed in one side edge of the bundles at such a position as to facilitate proper positioning of these bundles in a paper towel dispenser of the type and kind disclosed in the application hereinbefore identified.

With a structure of the character described, it will appear that the formation of the key slot 35 in the towel bundle 16 is accomplished without any additional handling of the toweling and at a nominal cost, namely the cost of operating and maintaining the milling attachment in operation, in conjunction with the fanfold machine.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In machines for forming and delivering fanfold paper towel bundles to an elongated delivery bed, a milling attachment for milling slots in one edge portion of the bundles automatically fed along said bed, said bed including spaced side bundle guide rails, said attachment comprising a fixed frame on said bed, a frame unit comprising vertical and cross-frame members movable on said fixed frame, means on said fixed frame operatively engaging said vertical member in transversely adjusting said frame unit with respect to the bed, a cutter housing vertically adjustable on the vertical member of said unit, an electric motor in spaced relationship to said housing and vertically adjustable on said cross-frame member axially of the motor shaft, the housing including, at one end, a hollow casing, a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing and having a multiple blade cutter operating in the casing and spaced above one side guide rail to oper-' atively engage one side of said towel bundle to form a milled slot in said side of the bundles, the casing of said housing being open in the direction facing the towel bundles, means coupled with the casing'for exhausting particles removed from the towel bundles in forming the slot therein, means providing a drive connection between the cutter shaft and the shaft of said motor, and means protruding beyond the other side guide rail for backing-up the side of the towel bundles opposed to and in alinement with the respect to said cutter so as to lace the bundles under pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,180,842 Goetz Apr. 25, 1916 1,280,275 Morgan Oct. 1, 1918 1,300,846 Kennedy Apr. 15, 1919 1,758,834 Heston et a1. May 13, 1930 2,089,074 Sharp Aug. 3, 1937 2,221,638 Indge Nov. 12, 1940 2,581,049 Schempers Jan. 1, 1952 2,645,256 Smith July 14, 1953 

